Survival
by stylexoxo
Summary: Courtney has trained for the Hunger Games her whole life, with a sole desire. To win. That is, until she meets a mysterious boy, who starts to show her a whole new side to life.
1. Reaping

**So, I recently realised that there were 24 contestant in the first generation of Total Drama, and 24 tributes in the Hunger games, so I though a fic based on the two could be fun :)**

**While based on the Hunger Games, this is a completely alternate universe, so even if they share themes and ideas, none of the characters or events in the Hunger Games will be mentioned.**

**Also, some parts may be slightly different to the book, due to me changing it for story purposes or not remembering how things actually happened in the books :)**

**And although this is Courtney/ Duncan fic, others will feature a lot.**

**Finally, I own nothing and all characters belong to Total Drama Island, and plot to The Hunger Games.**

I had been preparing for this moment my whole life. Every day, spent tirelessly and relentlessly training, working, building towards this .

I was surrounded by others, some slightly older, some slightly younger. This was pointless really, we all knew what was going to happen.

I looked over to Justin, standing by the edges, standing upright and strong. He stared straight ahead, gritting his teeth. He had a grimace, a darkness surrounding him. I recognised it. I had seen it with other tributes, an impalpable, yet very real, aura of...

I couldn't quite put into words what it was. But it was defiantly there.

I wondered if the same darkness was around me, but I reassured myself it wasn't. Unlike the others, I was eager. Determined. This was my purpose in life.

I realised the lady at the front, the one who picked names, was heading towards the bowl. I needed to go early to avoid any confusion. This was it.

" I volunteer as tribute!" I stepped out of the line, my hand raised firmly in the air. There was no uproar or shock in the crowd. It had been well known me and Justin would be going in, and no one wanted to challenge us.

" I also volunteer." Justin stepped out next to me. His voice was less bold, less certain than mine. I wondered if anyone else had noticed, or whether only I had picked it up.

"Well, come up here than!" the woman on the stage announced.

We made our way up, our steps in unison. We stood on either side of the woman, before doing the traditional handshake. I looked into his eyes, but they were blank. Like he had practiced trying not to show emotion with them. Yet I could see the slightest hint of fear in the. He had tried to mask it but once I knew it was there, it shone through.

He was not like me. I had always known it. It should of given me some encouragement, knowing he was weaker than he looked to everyone else, that I had a secret advantage, knowing that deep inside, he was vulnerable and scared.

Instead I felt pity raising inside me, the worst crime a career could commit. I bit down on the feeling, pushing it back in, refusing to truly accept it. Justin would have to pull himself together to help me. That was, until it came down to the two of us. Then he could give up. But only then.

Because I was going to win. It was destiny. It was fate. I am Courtney Tonnerre. Strong, smart and brave.

I was going to be the winner of the Hunger Games, and nothing was going to get in my way.


	2. Visitors

**Quick update! :)**

**The chapters will vary in size, and will probably get longer as it progresses.**

**Duncan will be introduced, but not quite yet. He will come though! :)**

**Thanks for reading :)**_

I was escorted to a room, with grey walls and no windows. It had two chairs, on either side of a table. One was for me, the other for visitors. I wondered who would come and see me. My mother, my father, my sister...My younger one anyway. My mind began to wonder to my elder sister. We hadn't seen each other in a while. It was stupid, really. She wasn't like me, in most ways. We had different views, opinions, outlooks on life. Different morals. That's why we had fought.

But we were both stubborn. That was the main reason she had gone. That and my dad.

She had gone, left for to another district about a month ago. I have no idea why anyone would choose to do that; the mere thought of it seemed ludicrous. We were a wealthy family, with everything anyone could want or need. To abandon all that, for another, poorer district, all on your own. Over pride?

Well, I could relate to that. My mother once said my pride was both my strongest and weakest attribute.

"Your mother is here to see you." The guards words suddenly rang out, and I turned round sharply. My mother stood beside him, smiling. She walked over to the chair, pulling it slowly, before cautiously sitting down.

"Mother." I smiled warmly at her, hoping to show her how excited I was, prove I was the right choice for representing District 1.

She returned the expression, though with less sincerity.

We sat in silence for a while. I eyed her cautiously, as she fumbled with her purse. She had not made any eye contact with me since she first came in.  
I cleared my throat, which she seemingly missed, as she still did not look up.

"Mum." I raised my voice to catch her attention, and she finally lifted her head up. " When will dad be arriving?"

She looked towards the door, then back at me. I kept my stare, making it as demanding and assertive as possible.

"Look, darling. Your father will, um, uh, well, you see..." She trickled off, her voice getting higher as she went. She was very agitated; she didn't want to tell me. My brain knew what she was going say already, but my heart urged me to push on, to make her say it herself.

"Mum?" I tried to make my voice remain as it had before, domineering, intimidating. But it came out like a little girls, trying to stop herself from crying.

Not that that was at all accurate.

She looked at the floor, before eventually meeting with my eyes.

"He's not coming."

I heard a small croak escape my throat, before I slumped back into my chair.

"He said it would just distract you. Mess with your emotions. Sweetie, are you listening?" I didn't reply, but she continued.

"We agreed it would be... beneficial for you. Let you focus your on concentration on what you've learnt..."

"Then why are you here?" I cut her off, my voice filled with bitterness and venom. It felt like poison was flowing from my mouth, as if the hate inside of me was so strong and powerful that it had become a physical thing.

She looked slightly flustered. " Well, we didn't want you to have no visitors. That would look..."

"Look? I don't care how it would look! I care about how it makes me feel! It's mortifying!" And heart-breaking, devastating and agonising. But I left those out. "And why do you even care how it looks?" I continued to speak, my speech gaining speed and anger as I went on. "I am your daughter!Where is your compassion? Do you even have a heart?"

"Courtney, stop!" She looked at the guard nervously, although he appeared to not even have noticed my outburst.

"So, this is it? A farewell party of one? Is Thalia not coming?"

"No. We thought it would be traumatic for her."

I almost choked. " Traumatic? For Talia? What about me! The last conversation I had with her was about whether she could sleep in my bed or not while I was away. The last thing dad said to me was that I must remember to stretch my before training again. Those are my last interactions with them before I leave!"

"But you'll be coming back."

I inhaled, trying to regain some of the calmness I had prior to this conversation.

"But what if I don't."

We both satyed in silence, and her body tensed up. I was surprised too. This was not like me. I never mentioned even the possibility of failure. I had been brought up to always keep up the pretence of confidence, like a barrier between me and everything else. But all the tricks I had been taught to hide my emotions were unravelling in this conversation , and my true thoughts and fears were tumbling out.

I wanted her to comfort me. To tell me that I would be coming back, that I would see Dad and Thalia again, and we would go back to normal. But she didn't.

"Courtney, if your not going to respond irrationally, then I might as well just leave." She said it coldly, shocking me.

"You wouldn't actually leave me?" I questioned, although I hoped she would see it as a ridiculous notion like I did. I hoped it was an empty threat.

She didn't respond. She didn't need to. She showed me she wasn't bluffing.

She got up stiffly, turned, and began to walk away. I could barley process it. As she reached the door, I made a last desperate plea.

"Mum!" I shouted, my voice strained and full of pain.

She turned her head, her eyes noticeably full of tears.

"Please don't leave me." It came out as a whisper, hardly audible.

She looked at me for a bit, and I tried to tell if she had heard the words or not.

She appeared to soften, to be coming back. I smiled at her, not one that was restrained, but one full of happiness and real emotion.

But as I did this, she let out a breath, and turned and left straight thought the door.

Why? Why was she leaving? She knew how much I needed her, didn't she? I jumped out of my seat, and rushed to the door, but the guard pushed me back, knocking the air out of me as I fell onto the ground.

As I coughed on the floor, I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I fought them back, blinking furiously.

I felt raw.

I felt like I did last year, when we got the news. When everything changed.

Like when Laya left.

I felt confused. Why had my father not come? He had pushed me to do this. He had made me in to what I was today. He was why Laya had left. They'd argued about me, me doing this. I remember watching them from upstairs, peaking from over the bannister. Then they argued about the last Games.

This went well into the night, and the next day she was gone.

And I could have stopped it. But I sided with him. And now, as a reward for my loyalty, my father didn't even have the decency to visit me.

Scum-bag!

I suddenly sat up, my head hurting. I had repressed the memory of that night, of the last Games, of almost everything. I had focused solely on winning.  
Now the memories were all crashing together, and joining with my equally horrible reality, to create chaos in my head. I tried to push it all back, like I had so many time before, but it was too much. I moaned, holding my head, which felt like it was going to explode. I felt hot, and knew I was going red.

I was sure now. I would be the first tribute to die before the Games had even started.

"Miss?"

I suddenly looked up at the guard, aware of the absurdity of how I must have looked, squirming around on the floor.

"You can come with me now."

How long had I been in here? I was sure tributes were in here longer.

A bitter laugh boomed though my head as I realised.

How long can visitor hours be when you only have one visitor?

I pushed myself upwards, brushing myself down, before forcing my shoulders back and holding my head up.

I took a few deep breaths, like I had learnt for whenever I had rare moments of weakness. It had helped me get through life before, and it would do now.

I had worked too hard to through it away for the idiots I have for parents.

There was too much riding on this. Too many people that I couldn't let down.

I lifted my head up. I had had a momentary breakdown. No big deal. This was not a true reflection of my character. I was a warrior.

I would return as victor, and have a huge welcome party.

They were more important than leaving parties anyway.

I would hug Thalia tight, and give her anything she wanted of mine. My mother and father would drop to their knees, begging for my forgiveness.

Laya would come home.

Yes. Everything would be just fine.

More than fine.

Everything was going to be perfect.


End file.
